Cooking in general is a nice form of meditation for me. I appreciate the quiet moments standing at the stove, stirring a pot of soup or a sauté pan full of bits of golden garlic. That is, of course, when I have the luxury of cooking in a leisurely manner. As one who works from home, I usually do have that luxury.
Read moreJUMBO CINNAMON BUNS
Have you heard about the famous Marian Burros plum torte recipe? For 6 years starting in 1983, the New York Times ran the cake recipe before deciding it was enough exposure and putting a stop to the nonsense…or so they thought, until people rioted (kidding, but actually it sounds like they sort of did) and demanded its return. I’m with that crowd, because the cake is really and truly a keeper. Not only is it fantastic as is but it can handle just about any tweaking you can come up with. No plums? Use berries! Don’t feel like cinnamon? Try pear and cardamom. Want a sandier texture? Add a little cornmeal.
Read moreTURMERIC CARDAMOM CORN MUFFINS
It's been a little quiet around here. I'll be remedying that soon! I have so many excellent recipes to share with you guys. Sometimes the heat of the summer sends me running from the oven (and there have been plenty of those days), but I've had some great successes lately with new recipes and also tried-and-true favorites.
Read moreEXTRA-MOIST BANANA BREAD
Some of you (Hello! You're lovely, you unknown readers out there, waking up on Sunday all over the world, making coffee in a tiny apartment in San Francisco or steeping tea in a sunlit, white-washed kitchen in Connecticut or dressing your smiling, chubby toddler in a messy bedroom somewhere or sleepily walking to a workout class on Columbus Avenue in Manhattan) have asked about the poetry. You've asked where I find it. The truth is that (outside of school) I've never read much poetry until this past year.
Read moreQUICKER CINNAMON ROLLS
WHAT I'M DOING
- Booking a ferry trip for Sunday afternoon. Orient Point --> New London. I'll drive the winding roads up past Hartford, then cross into Massachusetts. My heart will constrict when I pass the Vermont state line, then slowly settle into calm contentedness with each mile that brings me closer to Norwich and its tiny general store and quiet roads and New England style.